Rail anchor



* disposedbeneath is anotherA substantially Patented Jan. 1, 1929.

Haren r CHARLES B. SHEPHERD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., VASSIGNOR: TOWIILARD'REIDQIOF' SCA"RS`' IDAIIl, NEW YORK.

MIL i ANCHOR.-

Appncetion mednarch 17, 1928.- seriarnm 2625360.

This invention rela-testo thosedevices designed and adapted to preventthe longitudinal creep vof rails andknown .asrail anchors.

This invention has oranfobjectthe productionof a rail anchor which iseasy and eco-` nomic-al `to manufacture and which willproduce mostsatlsiactorylresults in use.

It has forA an object. the production. ot af raillanchor having a triplepressure-bearing clamping means.

A further object of this invention is-to produce a rail anchor having aclamping meansA comprising a jaw having two substantially rigidpressure-bearing members or jaws and yielding resilient pressure-bearing.member cooperating with said rigid members.

Furtherobjects will appearxfrom the following description, appendedclaims andthe accompanying drawings formingra part.` or' thisspeciiication and in which: y

Figure l isan isometric View of my rail anchor. Y p

Figure 2 shows my rail anchor` applied t0 a rail base angefthe railbeing shown in section.

Figure 3 showsthe relationof the parts or the rail anchor to the railbase lange.-

Figure t sho sone of the positions as-y sumedby the ral anchor' duringits applica ber l. Disposed on opposite ends of this body member l and3.

- The rail Harige-engaging means 3 is adapt"- ed to engage the. verticaledge of the rail base flange and itlconsists of a lip orvupturnediportion 4. The rail langeengagingmeans `disposed on the otheror opposite end ofthe body memberA comprises a clamping-'means y2. This'are rail flange-engaging means l2 clamping means has an uppersubstantially rigid `pressure-bearing` member orj aw; 5 which isdesigned to engage the upper surface of the rail base Ilange.Preferably, the upper pressure-bearing member 5 is shaped'similar to andconforms with the upper surface of the rail base flange which it isadapted to engage. Connected to the upper bearing memberand rigidipressure-bearing member or jaw 6.", This pressure-bearing3 member 6isspaced from-and is smaller in size,-;thatlis,fshorterin length;thanthe upperbearing-membery 52 and is adapted toengage thebottonrsur-face of the rail .base lange. Extending from the smallerbearing member- 6 in. .all` downward ;di

rection is an arm 7 which is'bentsubstantially' ait-right" angles7forming anotherarm Sand constitutingV a tie-abutting means.-`Immediatelyy following the tie-abutting. means there is aportion curvedor ben-t.vv upwardly andiinwardly and designatedby the reference;

numeral 9. Adjacentthis bend y9l the member is bent upwardlyI anddownwardly forming-a-1 bend or curved portion- 10 Vspacedii'romthe bend9 at its intermediate portion andltermi? nating by contacting4 with'wthebend 9at1l. As is apparent from the drawings, the curved portions-orbends 9 fand'l() form ans-'shaped spring member whichisintegrallyconnected' to the body member 1. The contactingoif the bends9'and l() at 1l prevents-fthe spring ac tion .from extendingito the-bodymember; l.

The-bend 10 is so formed that ithas an apexl l2 disposed adjacentbut--spacedapart-fromV the bea-ringnnembcr 6 and extending inwardly.landv away from the edge of the -rail in the; same 'direction as therigidvbearingmembersr Itv is-also disposed beneathfthe upper rigid.lbearing` member 5 and is adapted to'engage the bottom surface ofthe railbase` flange.

The apex l2'is furthermore disposed'ina planel higher thanthe plane ofitheisma'ller bearing member 6 and the normal vertical dis#- tancebetween the apex l2 and the rigidibeare ing member 5 is lessy than lthevert-ical dista-nce ed to grip and hold. Due to the bends:9 and l0 theapex 12 is yielding a-nd'resilient and forms a yielding lower lpressuremember and together withlthe rigidfbearing members or jaws andconstitute-athree pressure-bearing. clamp.

rllhe rail 'anchor-maybe madebyeither org ing or by stamping out.`Iitfis desiredlto make therigid portions: ofithe rail anch'or ruggedand.unyielding and to make the 'yielding-portions more resilient, thevbarQrfmat'- rial from which the raillanchor is1formed mayl be rolledandprogressively reduced! in cross-section. If made inthis*manner'-y therigid bearing member- 5 is made of 'afsubstam tial thickness-i` therigid bearing memb'erl 6 of a lesser thickness and the tie-abuttingirnean's through the` rail base flange which` it is `intend- 7 and 8, asWell as the body member l, are respectively made of lesser thickness. lnother words, the rigid bearing member 5, the rigid bearing member 6' andthe tie-abutting means 7 and 8, the bends 9 and l() and the body memberl may be made of different thickness or cross-section depending upon theresiliency or resistance desired in these various parts.

In application the anchor is applied to the rail base flange and ispushed on as far as it will go. At the end of this operation the railanchor will assume a position with respect to the rail as illustrated inFigure 1l. The anchor is then struck by means of a spike maui or sledgeon the bend or shoulder-like portion 13 of the rigid bearing member 5.

Due to the force applied and the pressure exerted by the rail baseflange to which the anchor is being applied, the resilientbearing memberor apex l2 is depressed as clearly shown in Figure 5. his operationpermits the rigid bearing members to pass on the rail base flange. rlhisoperation is continued until the lip l clears the opposite edge of therail base flange and snaps into position.' ln applying the anchor thecontact point ll functions as a fulcrum or pivot and allows the free endof the body member` to be sprung down until the lip 4 snaps into place.

When applied, the rail anchor exerts a pressure on the rail base Hangethrough the triple pressure-bearing clamp con'iprising the upper rigidbearing member or jaw 5, the lower rigid bearing member or jaw 6 and theresilient bearing member l2. is a result of the depression of theresilientbearing member 12, the vertical edge-engaging means or lip l ismoved upwardly and inwardly and, after applicatiompit exerts acorresponding pressure on the rail base flange. lf frozen in ballast,the vibratory movements of the rail and the pulling down on the heel laof the clamp will tend to throw the lip end and body memberupward andeffect a pulling in on the lip, thus increasing the grip on the railedge and tearing the anchor out of the frozen ballast without any dangerof pulling the lip end down and ed the rail.

l claim:

. 1. A rail ancho-r comprising a body member, rail base flange-engagingmeans disposed at opposite ends thereof, one of said means comprising aclamp, said clamp comprising two pressure-bearing members and a yieldingflexible pressure-bearing member disposed beneath one -of said bearingmembers.

2. A rail anchor comprising a body member, rail base flange-engagingmeans disposed at opposite ends thereof, one of said means comprising aVclamp having three pressurebearing members, said members extending inthe same direction.

3.V A rail anchor comprising a body member, rail base iiange-engagingmeans disposed at opposite ends thereof, one of said means comprising aclamp, said clamp comprising two substantially rigidpressure-bea-ringmembers and a yielding flexible pressure-bearingmember.

l. il rail anchor comprising a body member, rail base flange-engagingmeans disposed at opposite ends thereof, one of said means comprising aclamp, said clamp comprising two substantially .rigid pressure-bearingmembers and a yielding flexible pressurebearing member, said membersextending in the same direction.

5. A rail anchor comprising a body mem-- ber, rail `base flange-engagingmeans disposed at opposite ends thereof, one of said means comprising aclamp, said clamp comprising an upper pressure-bearingmember, a lowerpressure-bearing member shorter in length than said upper member, and aresilient yielding pressure-bearing member cooperating with said membersconstituting an element of said clamp.

6. A rail anchor comprising a body memi ber, rail base flange-engagingmeans disposed at opposite ends thereof, one of said means comprising aclamp, said clamp comprising an upper pressure-bearing member, a lowerlpressure-bearing member Vsho-rter in length than said upper member, anda resilient yiel ding pressure-bearing ymember adapted to engage thebottom of the rail base flange cooperating with said members andconstituting an element of said clamp.

7. A rail anchor comprising a body member, rail base Harige-engagingmeans disposed at opposite ends thereof, one of said means comprising aclamp, said clamp comprising an upper pressure-bearing member, a lowerpressure-bearing member shorter in length than said upper member, and aresilient yielding pressure-bearing member spaced from said members andconstituting an element of said clamp.

8. A rail anchor comprising a body member, rail base flange-engagingmeans disposed at opposite ends thereof, one of said means comprising anupper'pressure-bearing` member, a lower pressure-bearing member shorterin length than said upper member', and a resilient yieldingpressure-bearing member normally in a plane higher than the plane of thelower member and co- Y ,operating with said members and constituting atriple pressure-bearing clamp. Y 9. A rail anchor-comprising a bodymeniber, rail base flangeengaging means disposed at opposite endsthereof, one of saidmeans comprisingan upper pressure-bearing member, alower pressure-bearing member shorter in length than said upper member,and a resilient yielding pressure-bearing member normally in. a planehigher than the plane of the lower member, said yielding member beingdisposed adjacent said lower member and spaced vtherefrom andcooperating with said (lil ifi-9 CJD members and constituting a triplepressurebearing clamp.

10. A rail anchor comprising a body member, means for engaging the.vertical edge of a rail base flange disposed at one end of said bodymember,.jaws adapted to engage the opposite rail base flange disposed atthe other end of said body member, said jaws comprising an uppersubstantially rigid pressurebearing member and a lower substantiallyrigid pressure-bearing member shorter in length than said upper member,an arm eX- tending downwardly from said lower member bent substantiallyat right angles and forming tie abutting means, an inwardly and upwardlycurved portion and a bend extending upwardly and outwardly from saidportion and forming a yielding pressure member cooperating with saidjaws to form a triple-pressure bearing clamp.

11. A rail anchor comprising a body member, means for engaging thevertical edge of a rail base flange disposed at o-ne end of said bodymember, jaws adapted to engage the opposite rail base flange disposed atthe other end of said body member, said kjaws comprising an uppersubstantially rigid pressure-bearing member and a lower substantiallyrigid pressure-bearing member shorter in length than said upper member,an arm extending downwardly from said lower member bent substantially atright angles and forming tier abutting means, an inwardly and upwardlycurved portion, and a bend extending upwardly and outwardly from saidportion and forming a yielding pressure member cooperating with saidjaws toform a triple-pressure bearing clamp, said bend terminating andcontacting on said curved portion.

12. A rail anchor comp-rising a` body member, rail flange-engaging meansdisposed at opposite ends thereof, one of saidmeans comprising a clamphaving two substantially rigid pressure-bearing members and a yieldingpressure member comprising an S-shaped spring member, said spring memberhaving its upper portion terminating and contacting with its middleportion or bend.

13. A rail anchor compris-ing a body member, rail ange-engaging meansdisposed at opposite ends thereof, one of said means comprising a clamp,said clamp comprising an upper pressure-bearing member, a lowerpressure-bearing member and a resilient yielding pressure-bearing memberdisposed adjacent said lower pressure-bearing member and beneath saidupper pressure-bearing member.

14. A rail anchor comprising a body member, rail flange-engaging meansdisposed at opposite ends thereof, one of said means comprising a clamp,said clamp comprising two substantially rigid pressure-bearing members,a yielding flexible pressure-bearing member cooperating with said rigidpressurebearing member and comprising an S-shaped spring member.

15. vA rail anchor comprising a body member, rail flange-engaging meansdisposed at opposite ends thereof, one of said means comprising a clamp,said clampcomprising an upper pressure-bearing member, a lowerpressure-bearing member shorter in length Vthan said upper member, aresilient yielding pressure-bearing member disposed adjacent said lowerpressure-bearing member and beneath said upper pressure-bearing memberand comprising an S-shaped spring member.

16. A rail anchor comprising a body member, railflange-engaging meansdisposed at opposite ends thereof, one of said means com-- prising aclamp, said clamp comprising two pressure-bearing members and a yieldingliexible pressure-bearing member disposed beneath one of saidpressure-bearing members and adjacent the other pressure-bearing member.i

17. A rail anchor comprisinga body member, vrail flange-engaging meansdisposed at opposite ends thereof, one of said means comprising a clamp,said clamp comprising two substantially rigid pressure-bearing membersand a yielding flexible pressure-bearing member disposed beneath one ofsaid rigid pressure-bearing members.

18. A rail anchor comprising a body member, rail Hange-engaging meansdisposed at opposite ends thereof, one of said means comprising a clamp,said clamp .comprising two substantially rigid pressure-bearing membersand a yieldino` flexible pressure-bearing member disposed yeneath one ofsaid rigid pressure-bearing members and adjacent the other rigidpressure-bearing member.

In testimony whereof, I have afliXed my signature to this specification.

f oHARLEs BSHEPHERD.

